Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-15

"You must open this door. can't wait
for an ax.''
GAS soon as / fnd."-
aNever mind valuables! Your life is
all. Open this door, command you"
cts more than that, it's my-stocking,"
1 shrek.
There is an expletive that l cannot
write, ard the light door is broken in with
the marble slab of a table. am caught
in two strong arms, dragged from my
room, carried through heat and sitting
smoke, and at last, through kissing, crack
ling blazes, I am handed from man to
man until / am lowered into the life boat,
my rescuer following. The boat is
freighted to the waters edge with thelast
load from the wreck.
"Byrd, you must sit On my knee; there
is not room for two," says my foe.
.There. Now lean against me and save
your back. I am afraid that must have
hurt you, I was so rough This very
gently. Then as the little boat swayed
protecting arm slipped about my waist
and held me steady. And then-only
think of 1.-THE dreadful Farnham looked
around with a meaning smile. "How
lovely. This is the most beautiful adven-
ture I ever saviour part, 1 mean! You
saved her at your own risk, Mr.. Storm.
Well, she is worth it. hope you may
be very happy, my dears."
L was thinking what father and cousin
Tom would say if they knew that 1 owed
my life to Royal Storm.
We are the last, and shout goes up
from the shiyering group on the shore.
As we land [ canEot put my bare foot up
on the frozen ground, SO Royal carries
me to block of wood, where [ sit while
he reflects.
"You couldn't--er--I mean you wouldn't
-er-put Ga one of mine in place of
what you lost" he suggests modestiy.
ooh, dear, no; l have troubled you
enough already. If you have large
handkerchief it will do until we reach the
town. They say it is near, don't they?
my foot is burned, anyhow, when
stepped on the deck, you know"
"Oh, you poor girl! And you didn't
say word! Why it is bad burn, the
skin is coming off. [ have some salve
in my pocket and can bandage it now,"
and he is kneeling, with the delight Of q
physician and the sympathy of novice,
with my foot in his hands. There was
nothing strange to US in this episode, 1t
was SO thoroughly in keeping with this
horrible nightmare from which | expect
ed to awake with the daylight, but I look
back now with strange thrill and see
again the frightened group on that lone
ly Tennessee shore with the background
of inky cottonwood forests and the aw-
full unearthly glare OF the burning Rosa
bel, now a beautiful phantom in fire, in
the foreground, and in all that desolate
scene I am the most abject bit of for
lornity. Even the babies have mothers,
but have my mortal enemy.
A great content comes over me as l
look at the kneeling figure, so tenderly
wrapping my burned foot, for feel that
all my responsibility has slipped upon
his broad shoulders, and I shall be guard
ed even at the price of his life. This,
too. was the young man who had sworn
| to Cousin Tom that the world could not
| hold them both. 1t is morning by the
/ time that rude wagons have been brought
! and the helpless ones are carried to the
| nearest village, hamlet of half hum
dred Imprinted houses and postoftice
store. We are distributed among the
| houses, and as soon as we have break
tasted Royal sallies forth to buy me some
hose. / have written the size and style
upon a ship of paper, which he modest
ly puts in his pocket without reading.
Presently he returns with the appalling
intelligence that it is Sunday and the
store is closed, and we are surprised to
| find how dazed we are, but my hostess
overwhelms me with the loan of blue
WOODEN ones of vastness and coarseness
indescribable which GO over bandage and
| all.
| 1t will be three days before the boat
~ nC fn oor T1S Off fhraA
| days in anticipation, but in reality
charmed days, that are gone before can
believe it. Royal had entertained me-,
read to me, prescribed for me, explain
| ing, however, that even in war the truly
brave are always gentle to the women
and children of their adversaries, and
we have tacit understanding that our
JOINT adventure is not to be written
home.
But nobody can appreciate the zest with
which Mrs. Farnham entered into the
spirit of the romance, ard insisted upon
understanding so much more than there
was in the affair.
She was fond Of telling her views, too
as | knew from her number of sly con-
CALCULATIONS and joking insinuations that
began to disturb my comfort; still
oiioUS3 LIZ theIo oO AOA1S % Ivy al WIS uuCOu-
scious of it all it did not matter.
The night before we reach Cincinnati a
group of US are gathered at the end of the
grand saloon, exchanging experiences and
vowing external remembrance of each
other in the light of ''perils past and dan
gers DER"
"But the loveliest of aIl," cried Mrs
Farnham's iWpulsive voice, "was the cpl
sode of these two young people; 1 can't
get over it. do so love young people and
romance and I never had chick nor child
of my own. You needn't blush, my dears,
nor look so embarrassed, for We know all
about it. Nothing could be more beauti-
full than Mr.. Storms devotion and tender
ness, we've all remarked, and I'm sure
that no face could show more appreciation
and love than Miss Castles, SUCH perfect
trust, too. And now my dears, before
you go across the state I want you to
come and be my guests for little while,
and then am going to make you promise
that whenever the time comes you will let
me make wedding for you, and invite all
these friends of the Rosabel. Now don't
say no. Miss Castle tells me that she